Hamster man to cross Irish Sea

Adventurer, engineer and athlete Chris Todd, from Wiltshire, is planning to walk non-stop across 66 miles of the Irish Sea from Wales to Ireland in a giant human ‘hamster wheel’ suspended between two kayaks called a Tredalo.

Chris (35), who lives in Bromham, is hoping that the crossing, planned for early in September, will raise £20,000 for the Wiltshire Blind Association and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Pains Wessex is providing Chris with emergency flare packs in case he gets into difficulty during the epic crossing, which could take 48 hours.

Chris says, “The Irish Sea Crossing is on the very edge of what I believe is possible, with many unknowns and there is no guarantee of success. This is a serious challenge to support serious charities. I estimate that it will be like running roughly 10 back-to-back marathons.

“The flares could be critical if I was in a potential collision situation or if I needed to be rescued – but I hope we will not have to face such emergencies. However, we wouldn’t be undertaking a sea going trip like this without the safety signals.

“A big worry is not being seen at night by other vessels. The flares will offer visibility in case I have to make my presence known or I lose contact with my safety boat.”

Chris says the idea of the human hamster wheel challenge came to him while he was rowing across a lake. He initially wanted to walk across the English Channel, but regulations and high costs made it impossible.

However, the Irish Sea crossing is more of a challenge, as Chris’ planned 66-mile zigzag route is three times the width of the Channel at its narrowest point.

The attempt will be made sometime early in September when the weather and sea conditions are favourable.

To sponsor Chris and raise money for the Wiltshire Blind Association and the RNLI, go to: www.irishseacrossing.co.uk/ISC_donate.html.